Aerofoil construction



. Dec. 2, 1930 w DALTON I 1,783,413

AEROFOIL CONS TRUCTI ON Filed May 3, 1930 I INVENTOR BY N ELSON W. DALTON.

ATTORNEYS Patented Dec. 2, 1930 UNITED STATES PATENTF OFFICE a NELSON w. DALTON, or BATH, NEW roe-K, ASSIGNOR on 'rnnnn-roun'rns T r nanon REALTY coaronerrou, on NEW roan, N. Y.

Annororn ooivs'rnuerren Application filed. tra 3, 1930. Serial No. 449,352.

This invention relates to wing and aerofoil structures for aircraft.

The object of the invention is a wing structure for aeroplanessuch for example as g; gliders and particularly a wing structure which is characterized by its simplicity in construction and by 'the'economy .in manufacture and assembly thereof. To this end I have devised an aeroplane wing whose aerofoil section is maintained by upper and lower flexible batten members which are separated by a central spar construction and are held in proper curvature by cloth webs under tension, and in the preferred construction a fabric covering is employed, with the tension webs fastened thereto and to the batten members. i

For a better understanding of the above indieated and other novel features of the wing construction reference maybe had to the accompanying drawings forming a part of the application wherein:

Fig. 1 is a section of'a wing embodying the invention, Y

Fig. 2 is a perspective view thereof with parts broken away, and

Fig. 3 is a sectional view along the line 33 of Fig. 1.

Referring to the drawings which illusso trate one embodiment of the invention, the win includes a central girder or backbone structure 1, upper and lower fore and aft extending batten members 7 and 8 and fore and aft tension webs 9 and 10 which hold and retain the elastic or flexible batten members 7 and 8 in the proper curvatures. The wing also includes the nose and trailing strips 11 and 12 which complete the formation of the nose and trailing edges of the wings. The wing covering 13 is also preferably fabric The central girder or backbone structure of the wing 1 gives the required rigidity and strength to the wing for assuming the wing loads while the fore and aft fabric webs 9 and 10 together with the batten members 7 and 8 give the required form and aerofoil section to the wing. The battens 7 and 8 engage and are separated by the girder structure 1, and the former are anchored firmly 56 against fore and aft movement by the cover 13 and the cloth webs 9 and lO. The webs 9 and 10 may be secured to the battens in any suitable manner and are preferably secured also to the fabric covering 13. Though not limited to any particular construction or method of construction, in the particular embodiment shown I have indicated the transverse girder structure 1 as composed of transverse fore and aft spars 52 and 3, these spars including the upper and lower aiwle members 6 spacedby the latticed construction shown, the spars being bridged in the fore and aft direction by web members i and diagonals 5 and also upper and lower diagonals 5.- The covering 13 and thewebs 9 and 10 may be sewed 0r fastened together to form one integral piece and a convenient method of attachment and assembly of the parts is to form fore and aft pockets 7 and 8' in the covering 13 and adjacent the cross webs 9 and 10 for the reception of thebatten members 7 and 8 and similar pockets 11 and 12 for the reception of thenose strip 11 and trailing strip 12. With this arrangement the girder and spar unit 1 may be slipped into the envelope l3 and between the'webs 9 and 10. The'nose strip 11 is insertedinto the pocket 11,'and then thefore-and aft extending flexible and resilient batten members 7 and 8 are inserted in the pockets and 8 with their leading-ends bearing against the nose strip 11. The trailing edge strip 12 is then inserted in the trailing edge pocket 12, the arrangement, preferably being such that the upper and lower surfaces of the battens 7 and 8 merge into the corresponding surfaces of the trailing strip 12. e v The wing thus constructed and assembled may be attached to the central body or framework throughthe intermediary of the girder and spar structure 1 in any desired manner. The outer end or tip of the wing may be closed by an end web sewed toor forming a part of the envelope 13, this web extending all the way across the end, or, if desired; a tapered end construction may be provided including an internal structure secured to the end of the girder structure 1, the envelope 13 being formed at the end to conform to this tapered arrangement.

A wing thus constructed may be economically manufactured and assembled and the construction is particularly suitable for inexpensive machines such for example as gliders. The cloth webs 9 and 10 and the covering 13 are preferably waterproofed, and the envelopeis formed so as to make a tight fit when drawn over the frame and distended by the battens. It is not essential that the fabric be shrunk by use of air plane dope in the ordinary manner. Vhile in the preferred construction the tension webs 9 and 10 are disposed at right angles to the central spar construction they may be disposed at other angles thereto, and may even in certain instances be disposed parallel thereto, still retaining certain of the advantages of my new construction For convenience in manufacture and assembly I have shown each of the webs 9 and 10 as formed of a single piece, although it may be desired in certain cases to divide them into two or more pieces.

I claim:

1. An aerofoil construction for aircraft including a central spar construction, fore and aft extending flexible contour members passing over the upper and lower sides of said central structure and fore and aft fabric webs attached to said contour members and holding the same to the desired aerofoil curvature.

2. An aerofoil construction for aircraft including a spar construction extending longitudinally of the aerofo-il, fore and aft extendingflexible batten members forming the contour of the wing on one side of said spar construction and fabric webs under tension secured to said batten mem bers and holding them in the desired position to conform to the desired curvature of the wing.

3. In an aerofoil of the character set forth in claim 1 including nose and trailing edge strips carried by the batten members and the fore and aft fabric webs.

4. A wing construction for aircraft including a main stress frame member extending longitudinally of the wing, a fabric envelope within which said member is dis posed, fore and aft extending flexible elastic batten members for forming the desired contour of the wing passing transversely of and above and below the frame member and fore and aft fabric webs under tension which are attached to and are disposed between the upper and lower elastic members to cause them to assume the desired curvature of the wing.

5. A wing construction for aircraft including a main stress member, fore and aft elastic members crossing the said main member above and below the same and fore and aft fabric webs attached to said flexible ,ele

members and under tension to cause the same to conform to the wing contour.

6. In a wing construction of the character set forth in claim 5 wherein nose and trailing strips are carried by the fore and aft webs and elastic members.

7. In a wing construction of the character set forth in claim 4 wherein the fabric is provided with fore and aft extending pockets adjacent to the tension webs for the reception of the fore and aft flexible members.

8. In a wing construction of the character set forth in claim 4 wherein the fabric is provided with fore and aft extending pockets adjacent the tension webs for the reception of the fore and aft flexible members, and also transverse pockets in the nose and trailing edges for the reception of nose and trailing strips.

9. A wing construction including a central girder structure, fore and aft extending elastic batten members separated by the girder structure, cloth webs disposed fore and aft of the girder structure and between the upper and lower elastic batten members, said webs being maintained under tension by the batten members, and a wing covering.

10. A wing of the character set forth in claim 9 wherein the wing covering is formed of an envelope of aerofoil shape with the cross webs disposed therebetween together with fore and aft pockets for the reception of the batten members and transverse pockets for the reception of nose and trailing strips.

In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specification.

NELSON W'. DALTON. 

